Electrical connector.



C. E. STAHL & J. F. CAVANAGH.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20.1916.

LQQLQ3QQ Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

i J J 2 5 Hoznc CHARLES E. STAHL AND JOHN F. CAVANAGH, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNORS TO CONNECTICUT TELEPHONE & ELECTRIC COMPANY, INC., 013 MERIDEN, CONNECTI- CUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT;

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES E. STAHL and JOHN F. CAVANAGH, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Meriden, Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Electrical Connector, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to an improved electrical connector, the object being to provide a very simple and effective means for that purpose, which device may be easily applied to the end of a wire whereby the latter may be easily connected to and disconnected from an electrical terminal.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section, and relatively enlarged, of our invention as it'would appear in use.-

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the several parts separated.

1 represents an electric wire whlch may or may not be insulated as desired. In the present instance the wire is shown as having the usual insulating covering. 2 represents a tubular socket member comprising one part of an electric terminal to which the wire 1 is to be electrically connected. The connector member which constitutes the other part of the terminal connection comprises a plug having a head 3 of cylindrical form designed to make an easy sliding fit in the bore of the member 2. In the head 3 is an annular groove in which is. located a split friction ring 4:, the external periphery of which normally projects slightly beyond the surface of the head 3, but which is pressed into the annular groove by the surrounding wall of the socket 2 when the parts are assembled for electrical connection, as shown in Fig. 1. When in this position the tendency of the split ring 4 to expand, frictionally holds the plug in place. Back of'the head3 is a recess preferably in the form of an annular groove 5 which partially reduces the diameter of the plug intermediate its length so as to relatively weaken the wall of the same whereby when the wire 1 isslid into place the surrounding wall of the removable element may be dented in so as to pinch on the wire, as shown in Fig. 1, and thus unite the parts. Obviously if the plugwere-not reduced'in diameter at this point, the punching in of the wall to grip on the wire 1 would cause a-lateral bulging Specification of Letters I'atent.

Patented a '3, 191W.

Application filed June 20, 1916. Serial No. 104,659.

or deformation of they plug so as to relatively increase the normal diameter. of the plug which would prevent the plug from being pushed into the socket 2. By reducing the normal diameter of the plug at the point where it is to be punched in to grip on the wire, this deformation of the tube will not cause any part of the weakened wall to bulge out so as to prevent the ready insertion of the plug. If desired, the rear end of the removable connector may have a tubular extension 6 which will slide well back on the wire 1. When the wire 1 has an insulated covering this part 6 would, of course, be pushed under said covering. This extension 6 serves to reinforce the wire 1 so that the wire will not bend at a point close to the socket 2. It thus affords something which may be directly gripped by the fingers (when no insulating covering is present) or indirectly gripped (when an insulating covering is present) to permit the plug to be pushed into or withdrawn from the socket. This form of connector may be applied to one or both ends of the wirel, as desired. In Fig. 1, We have shown the wire provided at each end with one of said connectors.

We have shownour invention in a very simple and preferred form, but it is obvious that some changes may be made therein without departingfrom the spirit and scope thereof.

What we claim is:

1. An electrical connector comprising a tubular socket member, a plug member arranged to slide freely into the bore of the socket member," a collapsible spring ring carried by and surrounding the plug memfrictionally hold said parts in operative position, said plug having an annular groove, said spring ring being mounted at all times therein, a portion only of said ring projecting above the surface ofsaid plug member.

2. An electrical connector comprising a tubular socket member, a plug member arranged'to slide freely into the bore of the socket member, a collapsible spring ring carried by and surrounding the plug member and arranged to.frictionally engage the wall of the bore of the socket member to frictionally hold said parts in operative position, and a sleeve-like extension at the rear end of the plug, said plug having an annular groove, said spring ring being mounted at all times therein, a portion only of said ring projecting above the surface of said plug member. 7

*3. In an electrical connector for insulated Wire, a plugxmember having a cylindrical inner\ end of relatiy ely reduced and substantially uniform diameter forming a sleeve to roject between a wire and its insulation,

- sai plug having a bore extending longitudinally through said sleeve and into the outer end of the plug, the side wall of said outer end beyond the sleeve portion being 15 relatively enlarged with respect to the sleeve and reduced in thickness intermediate of said enlarged portion to relatively weaken the same whereby the outer end of said plug at said reduced portion may be deformed in- 2c wardly to grip on said wire.

CHARLES E. STAHL. JOHN F. CAVANAGH. 

